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Auto alternatives for the 21st centuryFri, 09 Dec 2016 20:46:09 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.4smart Electric Drive Goes To Chinahttp://www.hybridcars.com/smart-electric-drive-goes-to-china/
http://www.hybridcars.com/smart-electric-drive-goes-to-china/#commentsMon, 25 Nov 2013 05:00:37 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=96561The new smart fortwo electric drive is now available in Chinese dealerships. The smart brand celebrated this market launch at the Guangzhou Motor Show, where the all-electric city vehicle was presented to the Chinese public. “Our smart electric drive was one of the first all-electric cars and is the clear market leader in Germany,” said […]

]]>The new smart fortwo electric drive is now available in Chinese dealerships.

The smart brand celebrated this market launch at the Guangzhou Motor Show, where the all-electric city vehicle was presented to the Chinese public.

“Our smart electric drive was one of the first all-electric cars and is the clear market leader in Germany,” said Dr Annette Winkler, Head of smart. “We are now bringing this successful vehicle to China, and are the first European manufacturer to launch an all-electric car on this market. Offering powerful driving pleasure with zero local emissions, the smart electric drive is perfectly suited to China’s big cities.”

With this market introduction in China smart said it is further extending its leading position in the urban mobility sector.

The smart electric drive has been available in Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan since production began in 2012. smart explained in Germany the electric smart quickly became the number one battery-powered electric vehicle, securing a market share of around 40 percent.

The smart EV is powered by a 55 kilowatt electric motor coupled to a 17.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery providing enough energy to cover a range of 90 miles.

The electric smart battery is produced by Deutsche ACCUmotive (a Daimler joint venture with Evonik), the electric motor comes from EM-motive (a Daimler joint venture with Bosch) and the vehicle itself is manufactured in the Hambach smart factory in France.

smart said it is now represented in 46 markets worldwide with the brand most recently introduced in Russia. Alongside Germany and Italy, China is one of the main sales markets for smart, with sales there increasing by 43.8 percent in 2012.

As the world’s largest automotive market today already, China will also play a pivotal role in boosting market penetration of alternative drive systems thanks to the supportive environment created by the Chinese Government, stated smart. Experts expect that China could become the world’s largest market for these vehicles as well.